On Feb. 1, the Duke Blue Devils visit Syracuse for their first ACC matchup with the Orange in the Carrier Dome.

In advance of the Syracuse-Duke game at the Dome, I wanted to take a look at the main reasons why Duke has gathered one of the largest groups of haters in the sports world today.

We'll count down 10 things people hate about Duke leading up to the big game Feb. 1.

Join the conversation below by dropping in the comments section or contacting me at the info below.

No.7 The NCAA tournament selection committee gives the Blue Devils favorable treatment in order to get ratings.

It seems like every year on "Selection Sunday," conspiracy theories are abound that Duke will be handed the easiest path to the Final Four to maximize television ratings

Syracuse basketball fans experienced this first-hand in 2010.

Syracuse finished the 2009-'10 regular season 28-4 and won the Big East regular season title.

Despite losing to Georgetown in the Big East Tournament, Syracuse was still awarded a No.1 seed to the NCAA Tournament, but Duke was seeded higher as a No.1 and was handed what was perceived to be the weakest bracket in the tournament, the South region.

Villanova was considered a weak No.2 seed that year in the South and Purdue was entering the tournament as a No.4 seed without superstar Robbie Hummel, who tore an ACL just three weeks before the tournament.

As cited in the book "Duke Sucks," many college basketball experts couldn't believe it when Duke got the higher seed, despite being a borderline No.1 seed to begin with.

"Even Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis, a Duke alum, couldn't believe his eyes. He questioned the wisdom of sending Duke ahead of both West Virginia and Syracuse----the latter having won the regular-season title in a tougher conference and finished the year with one fewer loss than Duke."

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski was asked about the perceived special treatment Duke received after being seeding above Syracuse.

"As a coach, I don't pay attention to that," Krzyzewski said. "If I was a fan, I think I'd pay a lot of attention because everybody talks about that. I don't talk about that because it has no bearing on our performance."

Duke went on to win the national championship when Butler's Gordon Hayward barely missed a half-court shot at the end of the game.

As also cited in the book, eyebrows were raised in 2011 when No.1 seed Duke was paired with No.2 San Diego State:

"Coach [Roy] Williams had the entire team over his house, and we watched Selection Sunday as a team, says North Carolina guard Daniel Bolick of 2011. "And I remember looking at our bracket and having to potentially play Washington and Syracuse as a potential matchup in the Sweet 16 and everything about struggling with the zone. And then seeing Duke's selection and seeing a much, much easier road than some of the other number one seeds, and they were supposed to be the fourth number one seed, meaning they should have the hardest draw of all the number one seeds. I started thinking, ' You gotta be kidding me, this is ridiculous.'

Not everyone buys the Duke "favoritism" theory, however.

Noted ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi was asked about it and said:

"Favoritism? I just don't see it. I don't think there is a factual basis for the easier=path argument, and I believe that there are too many safeguards in place within the committee's principles and procedures for intentional straying to take place."

College basketball fans often complain that Duke also seems to be placed close to home frequently in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, but several teams enjoy that benefit. Syracuse may have a path of Buffalo and New York City to the Final Four this season and played in Albany and Boston on the way to a national title in 2003 (as a No.3 seed).

One more quote from Lundari on the matter from the "Duke Sucks" book.

"I haven't seen one spit of evidence to suggest it. There's so much scrutiny now of the committee. In the old days, the nontransparency days, a [former NCAA director] Walter Byers smoke-filled room, I can't say if there was or wasn't horse trading, but there was at least a way for it to occur and nobody to care or notice. Those days are gone. "